Device for periodically delivering fluid onto an object

ABSTRACT

A device suitable for delivering periodically a fluid to an object for example, glue to a paperboard ring, as in the production of containers made of, say, a paper ring and a disc portion to be encompassed within the ring, is composed of a fluid delivery section for delivering a measured amount of fluid periodically to fluid delivery tubes, a pneumatic pressure operated combination of fingers for periodically carrying said tubes to an object and for activating the fluid delivery section and correlated cam and air valve means for raising and lowering or otherwise moving the mechanism as a whole toward and away from said object, onto which fluid is to be delivered periodically, and for correspondingly operating periodically said fingers and said fluid delivery section.

151 3,658,029 [451 Apr.25,1972

United states Patent Kelly [54] DEVICE FOR PERIODICALLY v 2,364,683 Znamierowski 18/254 DELIVERING FLUID ONTO AN OBJECT Primary Examiner--John P. McIntosh Artorney Young & Qulgg [72] Inventor: Guy L. Kelly, Kansas City, Kans.

Phillips Petroleum Company June 8, 1970 Appl. No.: 44,514

{73] Assignee:

[22] Filed:

ABSTRACT A device suitable for deliveri ng periudieally a fluid to an dbject for example, glue to a paperbdard ring, as in the produm portion tion of containers made caf, say, a paper ring and a disc: to be encompassed within the tin [52] U.S.CI...................................118/7,118/408, 118/411,

g, is enmpusedof a fluid VENT AIR

INVENTOR. G. L. KELLY ATTORNEYS PATEHTED APR 25 m2 SHEET 1 [1F 2 PATENTED APR 2 5 I972 DOWN OPEN

VENT

OPEN

CLOSED SHEET 2 0F 2 I I I I I I L INVENTOR. G. L. KELLY TTORNEYS DEVICE FOR PERIODICALLY DELIVERING FLUID I ONTO AN OBJECT This invention relates to a device for periodically delivering onto an object a measured amount of fluid to one or more places on said object. It also relates to the manufacture of containers or other objects which are put together using an adhesive or glue. In one of its aspects the invention relates to supplying a fluid such as glue onto a paperboard ring so that the ring can be combined later with a disc to form a container or a container top.

In one of its concepts the invention provides apparatus comprising at least one finger, meansfor anchoring said finger along its length at a point about which said finger can be pivotally moved, means for moving one end of said finger to cause by pivoting an opposite motion of the other end of said finger, means for periodically and reversibly actuating said means for moving said finger, means in combination with said means for moving said finger to actuate periodically a fluid supply means, means in communication with said fluid supply means and a place at the tip of said finger which is caused to move in said opposite direction, means for periodically actuating said means for moving said finger, said means for moving said finger being constructed and arranged so that upon having moved said finger in said opposite direction it will actuate said means for actuating said fluid supply. In another of its concepts, the invention provides apparatus comprising a fluid supply means, said means including a fluid receiving passageway and a fluid discharge passageway and means coacting with said passageways to force from the fluid receiving passageway a portion of fluid received therein into said fluid discharge passageway and by its continued operation, to cause fluid in said discharge passageway to be expressed therefrom. In a further concept of the invention, said fluid supply means comprises a plurality of fluid receiving chambers through which fluid flows in contact with said means which ultimately follows said fluid into said fluid discharge passageway and at least one means, as a wall of said passageways having an aperture through which extends sai means which coacts to express the fluid.

In a further concept still, the invention provides s combination of apparatus elements which can be used to position and to hold an object, onto which a fluid is to be supplied, as in the case of supplying glue to a paperboard ring in a fixed position while glue is supplied thereto, the combination comprising a set of pivotally mounted fingers, said fingers being pivotable about said pivotal mounting by action at one end of said fingers moving said fingers apart or away from each other at said end while bringing them together or toward each other at their other end, said fingers carrying fluid discharge or applying tubes, a fluid supply means, means for moving said end of said fingers away from each other and adapted when it has moved said end of said fingers away from each other to activate said fluid supply means.

I have conceived an apparatus which, with a minimum of component parts, is useful, among other purposes, for the purpose of applying glue to, say, a paperboard ring, for example, to the inside thereof prior to applying to within said ring a paper disc to be combined with said ring to produce a container portion such as a container top or bottom. Particularly, l have conceived of an arrangement, pneumatically operated, which permits automatically the positioning of glue delivery tubes at a place on a surface of an object, say a paperboard ring, to which glue is to be applied, said positioning being accomplished by a cam operated movement, for example, raising and lowering of a chassis or support member while at the same time, suitably sequenced, the same or a different cam operates an air supply to actuate an element which operates sequentially a mechanism for moving said glue delivery tubes toward and away from each other and when said tubes have been positioned as desired, operating a glue supply mechanism to supply glue into and from said tubes. Also, I have conceived a novel design or structure for a fluid supplying device which periodically can supply a fluid which device is arranged with a plurality of chambers formed by simply drilling into a block two cylinders parallel to each other and then drilling at right angles across the bottom ends of said cylinders providing an aperture in that wall thus formed between the two cylinders, constituting a partition therebetween, providing a discharge cavity communicating with one of said cylinders and a plunger to enter said block at an angle to traverse said cylinders and said aperture and to enter said cavity, the whole being provided with a fluid entry to one of said cylinders and a discharge from said cavity.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for delivering fluid onto an object periodically. It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus for delivering glue or other fluid to an object ina measured amount periodically. It is a further object of the invention to provide for so delivering glue or fluid to a plurality of such objects seriatim.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an automatic apparatus still for delivering a fluid such as glue periodically to a series of objects to a place: in or on said objects requiring that at least one glue delivery tube be positioned in or about said object by motion of said tube for each object so treated.

Other aspects, concepts, objects, and the several advantages of the invention are apparent from a study, of this disclosure, the drawing, and the appended claims.

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one finger or extended element, means for anchoring said finger along its length at a point about which said finger can be pivotally moved, means for periodically and reversibly moving one end of said finger, thus to cause the other end of said finger to move in an opposite direction, a fluid supply means, means for supplying fluid to said fluid supply means, means in communication with said fluid supply means and said other end of said finger, and means in combination with said means for moving said finger to actuate said fluid supply means when the said other end of said finger has been moved to a desired fluid delivery position.

Also, according to the. invention in one embodiment thereof, a plurality of fingers are disposed about a fluid supply means and pivotally mounted as described herein so that a plurality of placescan be simultaneously supplied periodically, with a fluid such as glue.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a vertical view in cross section of an embodiment of the apparatus invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the glue supplying mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a timing diagram with the aid of which operation of the apparatus of the invention can be more fully understood.

Referring now to FIG. I, the apparatus is composed of several portions or combinations of elements, as follows:

A ring mandrel which, ordinarily, is one of several mounted on a horizontally rotating turret. Only one ring mandrel 1 is shown. Disposed upon the ring mandrel there is a paperboard ring 2. It is this ring to which glue is applied by the apparatus of the invention. The entire assemblage of components above the ring mandrel is supported in the embodiment now being described by support member 3, which extends horizontally across about the middle of the apparatus and downwardly on the left side thereof, supported in bearing 4 and riding on cam follower 5 which, in turn, rides upon cam 6. Cam 6, in action, raises and lowers the assemblage which, in the drawing is shown in its uppermost position except as in the dashed lines appearing in the left hand portion of ring 2, the dashed lines being a showing of the position of the bottommost portion of the apparatus finger and glue tip in its lowest position, i.e., the position when glue is being applied to the ring 2 at a time when cam 6 has permitted follower 5 and, therefore, support 3 to move to its lowermost position. Mounted below support member 3, but secured thereto, is glue :supply block generally indicated by 7, details of which are apparent in FIG. 2. Mounted upon support member 3 is gluing operation subcombination cage generally indicated by 8, which is intended to include all of the apparatus visible in FIG. 1 above support member 3. Subcombination 8 comprises an air operated piston 9, located within a cylinder within cylinder block 10. Depending from piston 9 is cone expander 11, the upper portion of which is chamfered to present a frusto-conical shape. Within the cylinder, within cylinder block 10, there is a piston head biased by a spring resting against the bottom of cylinder block 10. The structure indicated by 12 and 13 and springs 14, and rods 15 form the cage, the bottom 13 of which has secured within it centrally a glue expressing plunger 17. When pressure is supplied to the cylinder within the block 10, piston 9 is pushed downwardly, and the bottom of the cone expander element 11 contacts the top end of plunger 17, forcing plunger 17 downwardly into the glue supply block 7. This motion of piston 9 also causes expansion of springs 14, building tension therein due to the downward movement of member 13 riding on rods 15. correspondingly, when pressure is exhausted from the cylinder within block 8, member 13 will be pulled upwardly by the springs at the saine time that piston 9 rises up into the cylinder in block and away from the upper end of plunger 17. The upward motion of member 13 is limited by elements or nuts 13A positioned on rods 15, thus nuts 13A act to arrest or stop the upward motion of member 13. It will be seen now that as air pressure is supplied to the cylinder within cylinder block 10. at least the following operations will occur:

1. the expander cone is lowered, and

2. the lowering of the expander cone causes plunger 17 to activate the glue supply block.

Abutting and riding upon the frusto-conical portion of cone expander 11 are a plurality of fingers 18, which are shaped to fit at their lower ends into ring 2 when the apparatus is lowered by action of cam 6 and follower 5. Fingers 18 are mounted by chain links 16 at the base of glue supply block 7, and are biased inwardly toward each other at a point above the chain links by means of circumferential spring 19. Whenever cone expander 11 is lowered by downward movement of piston 9, spring 19 will urge the top ends of fingers 18 inwardly, causing the bottom ends, which are supplied with glue tube tips 20, to move outwardly radially to cause the glue tips to assume the position indicated by the dashed lines in the left hand portion of ring 2, i.e., the glue tips will be in a glue supplying position.

Thus, in complete operation the following sequence of operations take place:

1. Cam 6 causes support member to drop and also opens valve 25.

2. Valve 23 opens when arm 22 is contracted by ring 2.

3. Opening of valve 23, valve 25 being opened, permits air to pressurize cylinder block 10, moving piston downwardly and allowing spring 19 to cause tips 20 to approach the paperboard ring.

4. Piston 9 continues its stroke, pushing plunger 17 causing glue supply block 7 to supply glue to tips 20.

5. Cam 6 closes valve 25, allowing cylinder block 10 to vent thus allowing piston to raise which causes cone expander 11 to move glue tips 20 inwardly.

6. Cam 6 raises support 3, closing valve 23.

When the apparatus is lowered by the lowering of member 3, lever 22 is caused to move upwardly as it contacts ring 2, opening valve 23 and permitting air entering by 24 into cam operated valve 25 to pass through valve 23 into the cylinder within cylinder block 10, thus lowering cone expander 11 for results earlier described. Closing of cam operated valve 25 permits air pressure within cylinder block 10 to be vented therefrom so that the spring within the cylinder in block 10 can raise cone expander 11 with results as earlier explained, that is relief of pressure on plunger 17 and drawing together of the bottom ends ofthe fingers 18.

Air pressure is also supplied to glue pot 30, which supplies glue by 31 to glue supply block 7.

Referring now to FIG. 2, wherein is shown an apparatus or glue supply 7, which can be the glue supply 7 of FIG. 1 and which in FIG. 2 is shown in some detail, plunger 17 moves downwardly through two chambers 40 and 41 into glue measuring cylinder 42. Glue in cylinder 42 is forced downwardly through passageway 43 through ball check valve 44 into passageway 45 which is in open communication with glue delivery passageways 46. It will be seen that as plunger 17 enters cylinder or cavity 42 it will segregate from the mass of glue within chambers 40 and 41 a predetermined quantity of glue and will force this predetermined quantity of glue into passageway 43 past valve 44 and into passageway 45 and thence into and from passageways 46. Thus, the glue supply I block of this invention is a measuring as well as supply apparatus in the nature of a combination metering and supply device. This device as one skilled in the art in possession of this disclosure having studied the same, will recognize is capable of uses other than that to which it is put in this specification.

Air pressure, as earlier explained, supplied to glue pot 30 passes glue through a check valve and by 31 into passageway 40, thence from passageway 40 as shown by the arrows into passageway 41. As shown, the two passageways are machined into glue supply block 7 from 3 points: (1) located at the top of the block and (2) points located on the left hand side of the block. The U-shaped continuous passageway formed by passageways 40 and 41 permit lubrication of plunger or piston 17 as it passes through partition 47 which serves to guide plunger 17 through the passageway. Other structural details of the glue supply block which must needs be accomplished as it is constructed are evident from the drawing and need not be further described here. However, it will be noted that in a simplified form the glue supply block 7 need have but one passageway or glue receiving chamber in lieu of the now preferred passageways 40 and 41. In such event, plunger 17 would still deliver from cavity 42 a predetermined amount of glue.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown a timing diagram from which the operation of the following respective portions of the apparatus can be more readily understood.

Plunger l7, cam operated main air valve 25 and ring operated valve 23 cooperate to express glue when the glue tips at the bottoms of the fingers are positioned as within the ring as shown in the dashed lines.

While the overall device of the invention has been described as a gluing device for delivering glue to the inside of a ring such as ring 2, one skilled in the art, having studied this disclosure, will understand that other uses of the device can be made either in its present form or as it may be modified to suit the intended purpose. For example, in lieu of delivering glue, tips 20 can be used as marking tips from which a marking material such as paint can be delivered. Further, by changing the position of the expander cone so that it will be above rather than below the turned in ends of fingers 18 it is possible on the downward stroke of piston 9 to cause the bottom ends of fingers 18 to approach an object by moving inwardly toward the object for example to approach a ring positioned within the bottom ends of the fingers and to apply a fluid thereto. In such case the delivery tubes will have tips 20 facing inwardly, i.e., in a direction opposite to that as now shown in the drawing.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure and the appended claims, the essence of which is that an apparatus as shown and described having a pivotally mounted finger reciprocally movable at one of its ends and a fluid supply tube at the other of its ends is actuated by a pneumatically operated means which when it has moved said finger into fluid supply position actuates a fluid supply means delivering fluid to said other end of said finger, the apparatus as a whole being movable to and from a position in which fluid is supplied, periodically, and being moved as described by operation of a cam acting upon an element of the apparatus; and a fluid supply means comprising a passageway for receiving a fluid, a passageway for discharging fluid and a plunger means for traversing said passageway for receiving fluid and entering into said passageway for discharging fluid.

I claim:

1. An apparatus comprising in combination a supporting element (3), a cage (8) mounted upon said supporting ele ment, said cage comprising a movable bottom member (13) and a fixed top member (l2), said members being connected by rods (15) said top member being fixed to said rods at the top ends of said rods said movable bottom member being slidably engaged by said rods at the bottom portions thereof, a spring member (14) biasing said top and said bottom members together, a cylinder block depending from said fixed top member and extending a distance toward said bottom member, a piston (9) within said cylinder adapted to be pressed outwardly from said cylinder toward said movable bottom member by fluid pressure, said piston being biased as by a spring, to return into said cylinder, a cone expander (11) being chamfered at its top to present a frusto-conical cross section depending from said piston, said cylinder block and cone expander being encompassed within said cage a distance above said movable bottom member, said movable bottom member being limited in its path of travel toward said cone expander, as by stopping means positioned on said rods so that it cannot reach said cone expander when said piston is at the end of its inward stroke, a fluid supply means (7) located axially beyond said cone expander at its side opposite to that at which the piston (9) is located, a plunger (17) in said fluid supply means extending from said fluid supply means to a point near to said cone expander but not touching the same fixed in said movable bottom member, a finger element (18) pivotally mounted to extend from a point at said chamfered top of said cone expander to another point, the pivotal mounting being between the points just mentioned, said finger being biased toward said chamfered top of said cone expander at a point between said top of said cone expander and said pivotal mounting to ensure contact between said finger and the chamfered surface of said chamfered top, means for feeding fluid to said fluid supply means, means in fluid conveying communication with said fluid supply means and a point at the end portion of said finger at said another point, the distance and shape relationships of said finger and said chamfered top and the end of said plunger near said cone expander being determined so that said finger has been permitted to ride said chamfered top toward the axis of said cone expander a desired distance by movement of said piston outwardly from said cylinder block when said cone expander by continued movement of said piston outwardly from said cylinder bloclt causes it to contact said plunger to actuate said plunger within said fluid supply to cause fluid to be expressed therefrom to said another point.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a fluid pressure supply means which in a desired timing sequence related to the action of said finger and said fluid supply supplies fluid pressure to said piston and thus actustes said piston and moves said movable supporting element so that the finger at said another point at which the fluid from said fluid supply is supplied will be positioned with respect to a place in space to which the supplied fluid is to be supplied.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein there is provided a supporting means at said another point to support an object to which said fluid is to be supplied.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of fingers are disposed about said cone expander and saidv fingers are biased toward said cone expander so that they will be actuated thereby in unison.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said fluid supply means is carried by said supporting element, said finger is shaped to extend from said chamfered surface to said another point and said another point is located beyond said fluid supply means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said fluid supply means comprises a passageway for receiving a fluid, a passageway for discharging fluid, and a plunger means for traversing said passageway for receiving fluid and entering into said passageway for discharging fluid thus to discharge fluid therefrom.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for moving said supporting element and there are provided means, responsive to said means for moving said support element, for supplying fluid pressure to said cylinder block wherewith to actuate said piston, the means for supplying fluid pressure to said cylinder block being actuatable when said supporting element has been moved to a position in which the piston and then the plunger are to be actuated to deliver fluid to said another point.

I. i 0 i 

1. An apparatus comprising in combination a supporting element (3), a cage (8) mounted upon said supporting element, said cage comprising a movable bottom member (13) and a fixed top member (12), said members being connected by rods (15) said top member being fixed to said rods at the top ends of said rods said movable bottom member being slidably engaged by said rods at the bottom portions thereof, a spring member (14) biasing said top and said bottom members together, a cylinder block (10) depending from said fixed top member and extending a distance toward said bottom member, a piston (9) within said cylinder adapted to be pressed outwardly from said cylinder toward said movable bottom member by fluid pressure, said piston being biased as by a spring, to return into said cylinder, a cone expander (11) being chamfered at its top to present a frusto-conical cross section depending from said piston, said cylinder block and cone expander being encompassed within said cage a distance above said movable bottom member, said movable bottom member being limited in its path of travel toward said cone expander, as by stopping means positioned on said rods so that it cannot reach said cone expander when said piston is at the end of its inward stroke, a fluid supply means (7) located axially beyond said cone expander at its side opposite to that at which the piston (9) is located, a plunger (17) in said fluid supply means extending from said fluid supply means to a point near to said cone expander but not touching the same fixed in said movable bottom member, a finger element (18) pivotally mounted to extend from a point at said chamfered top of said cone expander to another point, the pivotal mounting being between the points just mentioned, said finger being biased toward said chamfered top of said cone expander at a poiNt between said top of said cone expander and said pivotal mounting to ensure contact between said finger and the chamfered surface of said chamfered top, means for feeding fluid to said fluid supply means, means in fluid conveying communication with said fluid supply means and a point at the end portion of said finger at said another point, the distance and shape relationships of said finger and said chamfered top and the end of said plunger near said cone expander being determined so that said finger has been permitted to ride said chamfered top toward the axis of said cone expander a desired distance by movement of said piston outwardly from said cylinder block when said cone expander by continued movement of said piston outwardly from said cylinder block causes it to contact said plunger to actuate said plunger within said fluid supply to cause fluid to be expressed therefrom to said another point.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a fluid pressure supply means which in a desired timing sequence related to the action of said finger and said fluid supply supplies fluid pressure to said piston and thus actuates said piston and moves said movable supporting element so that the finger at said another point at which the fluid from said fluid supply is supplied will be positioned with respect to a place in space to which the supplied fluid is to be supplied.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein there is provided a supporting means at said another point to support an object to which said fluid is to be supplied.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of fingers are disposed about said cone expander and said fingers are biased toward said cone expander so that they will be actuated thereby in unison.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said fluid supply means is carried by said supporting element, said finger is shaped to extend from said chamfered surface to said another point and said another point is located beyond said fluid supply means.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said fluid supply means comprises a passageway for receiving a fluid, a passageway for discharging fluid, and a plunger means for traversing said passageway for receiving fluid and entering into said passageway for discharging fluid thus to discharge fluid therefrom.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein means are provided for moving said supporting element and there are provided means, responsive to said means for moving said support element, for supplying fluid pressure to said cylinder block wherewith to actuate said piston, the means for supplying fluid pressure to said cylinder block being actuatable when said supporting element has been moved to a position in which the piston and then the plunger are to be actuated to deliver fluid to said another point. 